St Aengus Church in Burt, Co Donegal, received yet another award this week, presented by the vice-president of the Royal Institute of Architects, Ms Carole Pollard, at the church on Wednesday.
Members of the institute had been asked to vote for their No 1 choice among 10 nominated buildings. The poll had then been opened to the public, and hundreds of votes had been received from Ireland, North and South, and from Britain. The Burt church topped the poll on each occasion.
Ms Pollard spoke of the significance of the building which, she said, was admired by architects, parishioners and the many people who came to visit it every year. It was still proving a big attraction, 30 years after it had been built. She also paid tribute to the way the building and its environs had been maintained, which was a credit to all involved.
The church, designed by the late Mr Liam McCormick, was opened in 1967. It received the RIAI Triennial Gold Medal the following year.
Situated at the head of Lough Swilly, the church is overlooked by the pre-Christian round fort, the Grianan of Aileach, on the hill above it. For centuries this has been a place of pilgrimage.
It was built in the early days of Vatican II and reflected the concept, new at the time, of people gathering around the altar. This was achieved by joining two concentric circles at the beaten copper doors with the sacristy, baptistry and confessionals being contained in the space between the circles at the back. The altar is lit by the off-centre spire above it. In the past 30 years little has changed, and the church's uncluttered lines remain intact.